Trump Enroute To Europe May Face Some Political Skirmishes Amid The Pomp Of State Visit To The UK

President Donald Trump’s arrives in London on Monday for a state visit in the first stop of a five-day tour that includes a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Allied Forces’ D-Day invasion at Normandy, amid more current skirmishes surrounding the U.K.'s efforts to exit the European Union, and a potential U.S.-U.K trade deal.

The president, the first lady and his adult children will meet with Queen Elizabeth II at a banquet at Buckingham Palace, as well as an afternoon tea at Clarence House, the official residence of the Prince of Wales.

The president is not popular in the U.K. and the newest member of the royal family, the Duchess of Sussex, formerly known as Meghan Markle, already has said she will not attend events of the visit while she recovers from the birth of her first child. The Duchess was not a Trump fan before his visit, having told a television interviewer in 2016 that she would consider living in Canada where her former television series was filmed if Trump was elected president.

When asked about the Duchess’ comments in an interview Friday by the British tabloid the Sun, Trump said, “What can I say? I didn’t know she was nasty,” using the same descriptor he has employed previously when referring to women who have criticized him, his behavior or policies. He added, however, he felt she would make a “very good” American princess.

In advance of his arrival, Trump told the New York Times that the U.K.'s next leader should walk away from Brexit negotiations with Brussels, referring to the resignation of Prime Minister Theresa May effective at the end of the week, after she was unable to lead a successful break from the EU.

May's meeting Tuesday with Trump will be one of her final acts as prime minister before departing 10 Downing Street.

Trump also suggested Boris Johnson, a pro-Brexit former secretary and former London mayor, should succeed May.

Despite May’s lame-duck status, Trump administration officials listed a number of important issues the two will take up during their Tuesday meeting, including Brexit and a trade deal, in addition to economic and military threats posed by China and Iran. Trump has said he wants a trade deal with the U.K., once it breaks from the EU but Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has called such a plan dead on arrival if it has a negative impact on an existing Northern Ireland peace accord.

Trump’s U.K. visit may be the most congenial of his official plans. He will meet with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who adamantly opposes the Brexit proposal, and while in France commemorating the D-Day anniversary, he will meet with President Emmanuel Macron, who has openly criticized Trump.